Printer & MFP buying guide - features to look for

	What kind of printer is right for you?
Finding the right print solution means matching your needs to the right products. There are a range of printers available, so you want to be sure that you don't just pick any printer - you want to pick the right printer.

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  Color vs. black and white

	Make a case in black & white. Black and white printers are a good choice for day-to-day, standard office printing, and in offices with high-volume printing needs. If most of your office print needs don't require color, black and white can give you speed and lower supply costs.
	All color printers are not the same. Some color printers are designed for simple color print projects, and are perfect for printing quality color documents like presentations and charts. If you are developing marketing materials in-house, consider more high-end color printers that can replace print outsourcing and provide truly professional print results.

  Laser vs. ink

	When to choose a LaserJet. In general, laser printers are faster, support a higher print volume, and offer the most consistent quality regardless of the paper you use. Laser printers often have more paper handling options and more networking options.
	When to choose an Inkjet. Inkjet printers are a better choice for photo printing and high-quality color printing on glossy and other special papers. If you need color printing capabilities, but the bulk of your printing is in black and white, Inkjet printers are an ideal compliment to higher-production black and white printers.

  Single function vs. Multifunction/AIO

	Multifunction products (MFP), also referred to as all-in-one (AIO) products, may be the best choice for your business if:

Save time • Your users spend a lot of time moving documents from one device to another -- from printer to fax machine for example. • You could improve your office workflow or data storage systems by converting documents to electronic format for sending, sharing, archiving.

Save money • You want to reduce maintenance and IT costs associated with a large inventory of products.

Save space • You have printers, scanners, fax machines, and copiers that seem to be underutilized. • You are losing valuable office space with multiple devices.

What print features do you need?

Now that you have a good idea what type of printer (ink, laser, or multifunction) would best suit your business, how do you decide what features are necessary?

• Print speed Info You should be most concerned about print speed if your printer will be used regularly by multiple employees, or if you often run large print jobs. • Print quality Info If you are printing in-house marketing documents, graphics, images or other customer-facing documents, print quality should be a consideration. Note that HP technology allows you to get high quality from an HP printer with lower DPI. • Volume (also called duty cycle) Info If you need to support heavy levels of printing, then this feature needs to be a consideration. When you try to print too much on a lower-volume printer, your maintenance costs may go up and you may spend more over time than you would if you had purchased a printer designed to handle your printing volume requirements. • Paper handling Info If you print a lot of usual-sized documents, or if your documentation typically requires a lot of assembly, then you want to be sure to find a printer with the paper handling capabilities that you need.

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